Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Ta-Nehisi Coates Just Responded to Mitch McConnell's Questionable Excuse for Opposing Reparations With an Epic History Lesson

Ta-Nehisi Coates Just Responded to Mitch McConnell's Questionable Excuse for Opposing Reparations With an Epic History Lesson
ABC News // ABC News

Watch and learn.

Renowned writer of Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates, testified for a House Judiciary Subcommittee today in favor of H.R. 40, which would allow research and consideration for various forms of reparations for descendants of slaves in the United States.

Coates's testimony came one day after remarks on reparations from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who made the oft-repeated claim that "none of us currently living are responsible" for slavery. McConnell then cited the election of former President Barack Obama as evidence that reparations are not necessary.


In his remarks to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Coates called out McConnell with a direct and rousing rebuttal spurring spectators to applaud at the end of his remarks.

Watch below:

"[McConnell's] rebuttal proffers a strange theory of governance," Coates said, "that American accounts are somehow bound by the lifetime of its generations, but well into this century the United States is still paying out pensions to the heirs of Civil War soldiers. We honor treaties that date back some 200 years despite no one being alive who signed those treaties."

Coates continued:

"We grant that Mr. McConnell was not alive for Appomattox, but he was alive for the execution of George Stinney. He was alive for the blinding of Isaac Woodward. He was alive to witness kleptocracy in his native Alabama and a regime premised on electoral theft. Majority Leader McConnell cited Civil Rights legislation yesterday—as well he should—because he was alive to witness the harassment, jailing, and betrayal of those responsible for that legislation by a government sworn to protect them."

Coates went on to note that McConnell has been alive for a wealth of atrocities committed to perpetuating white supremacy, on which the defense of American slavery was based.

"What they know, what this committee must know is that while emancipation deadbolted the door against the bandits of America, Jim Crow wedged the windows wide open," Coates said. "That is the thing about Senator McConnell's 'something.' It was 150 years ago and it was right now...The matter of reparations is one of making amends, a direct address, but it is also the question of citizenship."

He continued:

"In H.R. 40, this body has a chance to both make good on its 2009 apology for enslavement and reject fair-weather patriotism. To say that a nation is both its credits and its debits. That if Thomas Jefferson matters, so does Sally Hemmings. That if D-Day matters, so does Black Wall Street. That if Valley Forge matters, so does Fort Pillow, because the question really is not whether we will be tied to the 'somethings' of our past, but if we are courageous enough to be tied to the whole of them."

The room burst into applause, as did the internet.

People were none too happy with Mitch McConnell either.

Well done, Mr. Coates.

More from News

Screenshot of Stephen Colbert
CBS

Stephen Colbert Makes Somber Plea To Americans In Wake Of Charlie Kirk's Death

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had a somber message for Americans as he addressed the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, stressing that "political violence only leads to more political violence."

Kirk died after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck as he—ironically enough—mocked victims of gun violence at an event in Utah Valley State University. Kirk's murder has galvanized the far-right, with President Donald Trump and his surrogates claiming without evidence that rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.

Keep ReadingShow less
a woman sunbathing on rocks.
a person sitting on a towel on a beach
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

People Share The Weirdest Flexes They Heard Someone Say With A Straight Face

It is never attractive to gloat.

Even so, some people can't help but brag, or "flex" as it is sometimes known, about certain accomplishments or attributes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @thedowntheredoc's TikTok video
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok

TikToker Hilariously Calls Out Target After Champion Pants Feature Awkwardly-Placed Front Pleat

Sometimes you can just tell when something was designed *for* women, but was not actually designed *by* women.

Take, for instance, the new pleated pants available at Target from the Champion clothing line. While there's nothing wrong with pleated pants and they certainly have a suitable spot in the workplace, the latest rendition of Champion pleated pants are, shall we say, NSFW.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kaicutch's Instagram video
@kaicutch/Instagram

Woman Flips Her Car After Belting Out Ironic Britney Spears Lyric In Wild Viral Video

Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all had our fair share of carpool karaoke and maybe even imagined our car as our own personal recording studio.

But TikToker and Instagrammer Kaitlynn McCutcheon may have gotten too into her performance of Britney Spears' classic, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time," when the road and her car both said, "Bet."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@lynnshazeen's TikTok video
@lynnshazeen/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How Her Obsession With Matcha Landed Her In The Hospital

Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!

But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.

Keep ReadingShow less